Vietnamese food brings to mind fresh simple flavors, delicious spices, and many varieties of vegetables. However, there is also a strong French influence here so a French classic with a southeast Asian twist is a lovely, light dessert! Lemongrass mousse is a perfect finishing touch!
The Recipe
by volume by weight
mousse:
3 stalks lemongrass 45 grams lemongrass
2/3 cup water 160 grams water
1/4 cup sugar 49 grams sugar
4 ounces cream cheese 113 grams cream cheese
1/2 cup heavy cream 113 grams heavy cream
salsa:
1/2 cup assorted diced 90 grams assorted diced
tropical fruits tropical fruits
1 medium passion fruit 1 medium passion fruit
1 teaspoon sugar 4 grams sugar
5 or 6 small mint leaves 5 or 6 small mint leaves
Directions
For the mousse, bruise the bulbs of the lemongrass stalks with the back side of a heavy knife to soften and then roughly chop.
Combine the lemongrass with the sugar and the water and bring to a boil.
Cover and let steep for 15 minutes and then strain out the pieces of lemongrass. Return the syrup to the stove and reduce until about two tablespoons of syrup remain. It will be slightly amber in color.
Mix the lemongrass syrup into the softened cream cheese until combined.
Whip the cream to soft peaks and fold into the cream cheese mixture.
Spoon carefully into glasses or small dishes. Be sure to use a small spoon that fits comfortably in the opening of the glass.
Cover with plastic and refrigerate until ready to serve.
For the salsa, warm the sugar and passion fruit juice and pulp just until the sugar dissolves. Strain out the seeds.
Add the diced fruits and stir to completely coat with the passion fruit simple syrup. (This step helps keep fruits such as bananas from changing color. It also lightly coats the fruit and keeps it looking moist and fresh.) Finely julienne the mint and add to the fruit.
Serve the lemongrass mousse with a generous spoonful of the fruit and garnish with a mint sprig.
Alternatives
Although we are featuring tropical flavors in this recipe, this lemongrass mousse can be changed into many flavors. Substitute lemon or lime zest for the lemongrass or add a touch of almond or vanilla extract instead. Vary the fruits you choose to go along with the flavored base.
